Normalists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals advocating for or supporting standard practices in various fields of study or social behavior
2. those who follow conventional norms and values in their perspectives and actions
3. people who adhere to established principles or averages in an attempt to define society's expectations

Etymology: "Normalists" is the plural of "normalist," which is formed from "normal" and the suffix "-ist," meaning a person who follows or adheres to something. "Normal" comes from Latin "normalis," meaning "made according to a carpenter's square," from "norma," a square or rule, so the underlying idea is a measuring standard against which things are judged straight or true. The suffix does most of the work here. Adding "-ist" to a noun or adjective creates a term for a follower or practitioner, as with "realist" or "capitalist." A "normalist" is therefore someone who lives by the norm, treating conventional standards as the reference point for belief and conduct. The word thus pairs the carpenter's-square origin of "normal" with a label for people who measure their views against that standard.

Synonyms: traditionalists, conventionalists, conformists, standardists, orthodox

Antonyms: radicals, innovators, nonconformists, progressives, revolutionaries